"Honduras tried to kick France out of the game in their
opening match
but, thankfully, it didn't work. Didier Deschamps's side won quite comfortably in the end but we did not learn much about them because of their opponents' lack of quality.

"Switzerland will offer more of a test of how good France actually are but, by the looks of things, Les Bleus are very strong in midfield."

"Honduras were poor against France and their tactics will probably be to just try to stop an energetic Ecuador side, who only
lost to Switzerland
in injury time. I can't see that working this time either."

Lawro's prediction:
Honduras 1-2 Ecuador

One to watch

A pillar of consistency for Paris St-Germain as they claimed the French title in 2013-14, France's
Blaise Matuidi
has carried his club form into the international arena.

The 27-year-old had a pass completion rate of 92% during their campaign and 93% of his 87 passes in France's opening win over Honduras found the feet of a team-mate.

With Yohan Cabaye and Paul Pogba alongside Matuidi in midfield for Les Bleus, Deschamps can boast a trio who all cherish possession.

Deschamps describes Matuidi as a "first-name-on-the-team-sheet player" and, having been nicknamed 'marathon man' by team-mates, the former St Etienne player is recognised for his hard-working, combative style.

At a reported 7.5m Euros (£6m), PSG seem to have found a well-priced midfield dynamo. France will hope his consistency continues.

The key battle

Xherdan Shaqiri is Switzerland's bundle of attacking energy but, in Patrice Evra, he faces a man eager to make amends on the international stage.

Xherdan Shaqiri will operate on the Swiss right against France left-back Patrice Evra

Evra, 33, was stripped of the French captaincy by Raymond Domenech at the 2010 Fifa World Cup for leading a players' strike, only to be reinstated by Deschamps.

Shaqiri is 11 years his junior and scored twice and created three goals as Switzerland went unbeaten in their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Their group may not have boasted stellar names, with Iceland finishing runners-up, but Shaqiri - largely peripheral at his club side Bayern Munich this season - is tricky and energetic.

Left-footed Shaqiri is given licence to roam infield from the right flank and that will present a conundrum for the 1998 World Cup winners, but he will need to show defensive discipline because Evra and Antoine Griezmann offer threat down the French left.

Planning your World Cup day - key timings

When

What

Where

06:00 - 09:00 BST

World Cup Breakfast

BBC Radio 5 live

08:00 - 16:00 BST

World Cup Sportsday

BBC Sport website

09:30 - 09:38 BST

World Cup Catch Up

BBC News Channel

13:30 - 15:00 BST

Rio Report

BBC Radio 5 live

16:00 - 01:15 BST

Text/audio commentary of matches

BBC Sport website

16:00 - 19:05 BST

Italy v Costa Rica

BBC One and BBC Radio 5 live

19:30 - 19:58 BST

Sportsday

BBC News Channel

19:30 - 22:15 BST

Switzerland v France

ITV and BBC Radio 5 live

22:35 - 01:15 BST

Honduras v Ecuador

ITV and BBC Radio 5 live

23:40 - 23:58 BST

Sportsday

BBC News Channel

01:35 - 03:20 BST Saturday

Italy v Costa Rica re-run

BBC Two

10:00 - 10:45 BST Saturday

Match of the Day - Thursday's highlights

BBC Two

Stats of the day

Italy's pass completion of 93% in their Group D opener against England is the highest recorded in a World Cup game (1966-2014).

The Italians have scored in their last 15 World Cup games, a record for them and the best current run of any side in the tournament.

Ricardo Rodriguez (right) created two goals for Switzerland against Ecuador

The last three games between Switzerland and France have all been drawn, producing just two goals.

With his brace against Honduras, Karim Benzema became the first France player to score two goals in a World Cup game since Zinedine Zidane in the 1998 final.

Ricardo Rodriguez delivered two assists in Switzerland's opening game against Ecuador - and he provided more assists than any other defender in the 2013-14 German Bundesliga, setting up nine goals.

Ecuador head-coach Reinaldo Rueda was in charge of Honduras at the 2010 tournament, but his side failed to score and picked up just one point.

And Honduras head-coach Luis Fernando Suarez was in charge of Ecuador in 2006, where he took La Tri to the last 16, the country's best performance in the tournament.

World Cup nostalgia

Honduras coach Suarez was a national hero for Ecuador in 2006 when he guided them to the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time.

The former defender, now 54, saw his side earn two group wins, before being knocked out by a
David Beckham free-kick
as England beat them 1-0.

Suarez resigned after Ecuador failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, before returning to international management with Honduras.

Today's Brazilian lesson

The Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador - where France meet Switzerland - is so far the place to be for goals at the 2014 Fifa World Cup, with 10 arriving in the two matches it has so far staged.

Arena Fonte Nova, which has a capacity of 56,000, has seen 10 goals in two World Cup games so far

Spain's crushing 5-1 defeat by Netherlands and Germany's 4-0 win over Portugal took place in the city, which is known as Brazil's capital of happiness because of the number of outdoor parties it stages.

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Day nine of the world cup. Tom Shcafernaker has the forecast.

However, with a tropical climate, partygoers could be running for cover in June - historically one of the wettest months of the year in the city.

African ancestry is a key part of its character. It is a rich and diverse city, but poverty and crime are also rife so in Salvador you are guaranteed to get a deeper insight into the contrasts that have formed modern-day Brazilian society.

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